Knife Capital, a leading South African venture capital firm, has marked its 15th anniversary by announcing new Series A investments in two high-growth South African startups: Sticitt, a fintech innovator in school payments, and Optique, a disruptor in the optometry space.
Founded in 2010, Knife Capital is a pan-African VC firm with a mission to accelerate the global expansion of innovation-driven businesses. With offices in Cape Town, London, and Jersey, the firm invests through its funds KNF I, KNF II, and the recently launched Knife Fund III. These latest investments were made via KNF II, reinforcing Knife’s commitment to backing scalable, impact-driven ventures.
Sticitt: Digitizing School Payments Across South Africa
Founded in 2018, Sticitt is transforming how South African schools manage financial transactions. Its digital platform consolidates all school-related payments—ranging from tuition to extracurricular fees—into a streamlined, cashless system. Initially supported by Knife Capital through its Grindstone Accelerator and Grindstone Ventures, Sticitt now serves 841 schools and supports over 75,700 users.
Theo Kitshoff, CEO and founder of Sticitt, emphasized the strategic value of Knife’s continued support:
Knife, with their strong track record of supporting the growth of their portfolio companies, is the perfect shareholder to help Sticitt through the next phase of the business’ growth journey. Their experience and extensive networks locally and abroad will play a vital role in helping Sticitt achieve significance and sustainability in supporting schools to operate more efficiently, while equipping future generations with healthy financial habits.
Optique: Making Eyecare Accessible, Affordable, and Digital
Founded in 2017, Optique is redefining the traditional optometry model by combining technology, affordability, and convenience. With 19 franchise-owned branches across South Africa and a growing online store, Optique is making quality eyecare more accessible to underserved communities.
Leon van Vuuren, founder of Optique, highlighted the importance of the investment:
Optique has always been about redefining eyecare accessibility through an innovative business model that blends technology, affordability, and convenience. This investment from Knife Capital is a pivotal step in accelerating our growth, expanding our footprint, and ensuring that more people have access to world-class optometry services.
Keet van Zyl, co-founder and partner at Knife Capital, reflected on the firm’s investment philosophy:
Our focus has always been on backing entrepreneurs who execute with purpose and clarity. Both Sticitt and Optique are solving real-world problems in bold ways—whether it’s digitising school payments or delivering innovative, digitally-enabled vision solutions. These investments reflect our belief in businesses that blend innovation, traction, and tenacity.
As Knife Capital celebrates 15 years of investing in Africa’s innovation economy, these new investments underscore its continued commitment to supporting visionary founders and scalable solutions that address pressing societal needs.